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After a much needed rest in Kennewick, McNary Dam was a welcome site due to the locks, however Home Land Security has strict rules!

Pushing off once again into the darkness of night, the town of Wenatchee provided thousands of nightlights, making the hillsides glow. Cop cars chasing criminals, stop lights controlling traffic, supermarket signs and gas stations advertising their business. A drastic change from the remoteness of British Columbia and far northern Washington, Wenatchee marked a turning point in the wilderness aspect of the Columbia River. The team was longer out in it away from the hustle and bustle of a commercial society, they were now floating through the heart of it.

As Paul paddled away from the park downriver of Rocky Reach dam he headed towards a boat ramp just a few miles downriver. Kirby Billingsley Hydro Park marked the last boat ramp before the next dam, Rock Island.

Only an hour or so of paddling and Paul reached the Hydro Park where Keel was waiting. Having left a few hours ahead of Paul the two communicated via cell phone where to meet up for the portage around Rock Island. By the time Paul had arrived Keel had already set up camp and started making dinner. Paul on the other hand was about to experience first-hand the horrible effects of food poisoning. As he neared the boat ramp where Keel was waiting Paul began feeling exhausted and nauseated. Tying off the boat Paul walked up to the picnic table where Keel was cooking and sat down. Once done cooking Keel began looking over maps assessing how much further the two had till Kennewick. Eagerly noticing the distance was much shorter then the two had previously calculated Keel began conveying the numbers to Paul. Staring at a plate of pasta Paul was unable to eat let alone do much more than stare at the ground. Over the next few minutes Paul began increasingly sick and eventually had to walk away from the table. Making it about 50′ away Paul dropped to his hands and knees no longer able to stand and began heavily vomiting on the ground. To the sound of Keel’s cheers in the background Paul vommited up everything in his stomach and then lied comatose on the ground for several minutes. Almost instantly after the wave post vomiting nausea past Paul felt unbelieveably better and walked back over to the table to try and eat something for dinner.

The rest of the night was uneventful and Paul and Keel retired for the night. Keel had met someone earlier that day while waiting at the Hydro Park and had plans to leave early the next morning for a ride around the dam. Paul had also secured a ride that day from Eric who agreed to come back and help Paul portage around the Rock Island Dam as well.

The next morning Keel woke up early, packed up, and took the ride around the dam. Paul on the other hand was just trying to survive the physically deteriorating effects of food poisoning. Sleeping most of the day and unable to do much more then simply lie on the ground, even putting on his shoes was as exhausting as running a marathon, any activity other than lying on the ground took an unbearable amount of effort.

Around 5pm that evening Eric showed up to help Paul around the dam. This time Eric had brought his horse trailer, complete with horse poop and all. Loading the boat into the back of the horse trailer Eric and Paul drove downriver to a boat access below the Rock Island Dam. Once unloaded the two sat and discussed how the rest of the trip was looking to go as well as Eric’s plans to convert his horse trailer into a outdoor shower / lounge for the upcoming Burning Man celebration.

Eric Degman and his horse trailer / portage vehicle.

As darkness once again found its way to the Columbia, Paul slid the cataraft into the water. Exhausted from loading and unloading the boat he only made it a few miles before camping for the night. The next day did not fair much better. Being about 4 days ahead of schedule for a planned party in Kennewick Paul decided to take a short day and only paddled about 10 miles before once again camping for the night. Having about 20 miles to go until the next dam (Wanapum) Paul called it a day.

Campground below Rocky Reach Dam.

The next day he woke up early feeling much better and easily made the remaining 20 miles to the last boat ramp on river-right above the dam. Arriving at the boat ramp, which more looked like a deserted sloping driveway into the water, the hope of catching a ride was slim at best. Tying up the boat, Paul began walking up the empty road towards the nearest town in search of a ride around the dam.

No further than 300 yards had he gone when a large pickup truck appeared. As the truck approached Paul asked how far it was to town. The couple in the truck told him not far and asked what he was up to. After mentioning he was paddling the Columbia and needed a ride around the dam the couple immediately offered up their vehicle and helped Paul load the boat into the back of their truck.

Lucky and Random, a friendly couple helps Paul portage in the middle of nowhere above Wanapum Dam.

A short drive later Paul was around the dam. Keel had already portaged the same dam a day earlier. Apparently, he portaged on river left just above the final bridge above the dam. To Keel’s good fortune he ran across someone who was driving around charging the battery in his car. So he had nothing else to do but drive around. Lucky for Keel he picks up hitchhikers with a sea kayak!

After driving around the Wanapum dam the couple in the pickup truck helped Paul unload and drove away to enjoy the rest of their vacation. Happy to be around the dam, which could have taken hours if not days had the couple not helped Paul, he headed up the road to a gas station to buy some good ‘ole gas station fried food. At the gas station Paul asked the women behind the counter how far it was to Priest Rapids and if she knew where the last boat ramp before the dam was located. She didn’t really have much of an idea of where the river went and asked where Paul was eventually heading.

“This river goes to the ocean!?” The woman behind the counter asked, shocked that the river went all that way. Staring blankly at the woman Paul explained where the Columbia starts and how it eventually makes up the Washington/Oregon border. The woman clearly had never thought to wonder where the river in her backyard wandered. Not sure what else to say Paul thanked the woman for her time and headed back to the boat.

That afternoon the wind once again unleashed its fury. Paul found shelter in the grass and lied on the ground trying to escape from the wind. During this time Keel who had been picked up a day earlier by Chris Bolken and Lanson was flying high above shooting photographs of the area in one of Chris’ friends experimental planes. Flying to the area where Paul was Keel spotted the cataraft and the piliot headed towards where the boat was tied up. Once above Keel and the piliot began feeling the strong winds pushing the plane in all directions. Scared of crashing the plane in the unpredictable and strong winds the two headed back to Kennewick.

Unaware Keel had been flying above Paul lied on the ground waiting for the wind to die down. Hours later it was apparent that the wind wasn’t going to take a break anytime soon. Setting up a tent (which was extremely difficult to say the least) he went to sleep hoping the wind would be better in the morning.

Dead salmon on the banks near Paul's tent.

The next morning Paul woke up to a slight wind and pushed off hoping to make it the 18 miles to Priest Rapids Dam that day. Unfortunately, the wind had other plans for Paul. After paddling a few miles the wind began to howl, pushing the Columbia upriver making it impossible once again to paddle. Frustrated, tired, and wanting to reach Priest Rapids for a scheduled pickup Paul broke down. Muttering a wide range of swearwords and insults Paul walked along shore pulling, pushing, and dragging the boat along the water near shore trying to make it around a bend in the river ahead in hopes that the wind would relent.

Bald eagles were out and about.

Another Bald Eagle watches from above.

Eventually, Paul made the mile or so distance to the bend and got back in the boat happy to be able to paddle once again. Not sure where he was heading all Paul knew was the last boat ramp was on river left in a town called “Desert Aire”. After miles of off again, on again wind, Paul eventually limped the boat into the Desert Aire Marina and called the support crew in Kennewick to let them know he had arrived. A few hours later Chris Bolken and Lanson arrived, helped Paul load the boat into their truck, and headed back to Kennewick.

Priest Rapids Dam sign at Desert Aire Marina.

Priest Rapids Dam

Once in Kennewick, the team sat down to a feast of a dinner Keel had made. The team had arrived 3 days ahead of schedule for a community event through the Hanford Reach section they had planned months earlier. So all the team had to do now was eat, sleep, and relax!

Once the dump truck was unloaded Keel and Paul took a break for the first time since the start of the expedition, nearly 17 days earlier.

After resorting gear and food, washing socks, dealing with foot-rot, and just taking a moment to relax; Keel and Paul once again pushed off as daylight faded. Their next goal was Rocky Reach Dam ~40 miles away.

Paddling through most of the night Paul made it to within 10 miles of the dam while Keel camped and started up early again in the morning. Paul knew he was ahead of Keel so most of the morning he spent waiting for Keel to arrive so the two of them could finish the final 10 miles to Rocky Reach and work on the portage together.

Campground 10 miles upriver from Rocky Reach

Around 11am the wind once again began picking up speed and Paul was unable to paddle downriver. Fortunately this time he was at least at a nice place to sit and wait for Keel so he sat and read a book happy for an excuse not to be paddling. Soon after he received a call from Keel. Keel had made it to Rocky Reach, somehow he past Paul around 9-10am that morning unbeknown to them.

Keel was quickly able to get a ride around the dam and spent the night at a park downriver of the dam. Paul now behind, packed up his gear and headed out towards Rocky Reach. A few hours later he was there and camped for the night hoping to secure a ride around in the morning.

Lake Entiat - Rocky Reach Reservoir

The next day around 8am Paul received a phone call from Keel. A Wenatchee World Photojournalist had come across Keel camping downriver and wanted to do a story on the expedition. After speaking with Keel, Mike Bonnicksen of the Wentachee World headed up and met Paul at the Rocky Reach Dam to take photos and work on a story. Paul in the meantime was working on finding a ride around the dam, in time the two would work themselves out as Mike became part of The Columbia Experience.  For Mike’s Photo Story: Click Here

Mike Bonnicksen from the Wenatchee World.

Throughout the day Paul asked several people for rides around the dam but no one had an empty boat trailer or any means for loading the gear. Eventually, a Chelan County Public Utility District employee who was counting wildlife species in the area saw Paul and came over to ask what he was doing (Chelan County P.U.D. owns and operates Rocky Reach Dam). After a quick talk, Eric of the Chelan County P.U.D. agreed to help portage Paul around the Dam in his truck when he got off work. Fortunely, Eric was a paddler and enjoyed canoeing sections of the Columbia. He always wanted to paddle the entire river and was happy to help out a fellow boater. In the meantime Mike who had finished his interview and left, called Paul asking how the portage was going since he was eager to photograph loading the boat onto a trailer and document the boat entering the water on the downriver side of the dam. Paul mentioned to Mike that he had secured a ride around 5pm and Mike planned to come back out around then to finish his story.

Boat Ramp just upriver of Rocky Reach Dam

Good thing that Dam is there so we can all motor boat around! Thank You Chelan P.U.D!

Around 5pm Eric was nowhere to be seen. Eventually, Paul and Mike began discussing other portage options. Realizing they really had no other options Mike agreed to let Paul strap the boat and gear onto his brand new car. Scared of damaging the vehicle they slowly figured out how to get the Cataraft frame onto the roof. Fortunately, Eric showed up soon after and instead of strapping the frame to Mike’s car they were able to load the frame, oars, and other equipment into the back of Eric’s truck.

During this time Keel was downriver at the park he had been dropped off at waiting for Paul to make it around the dam. After sometime security officers, park visitors, and others became aware of Keel. Nervous about having too many people see him and not wanting to receive a loitering ticket he pushed off, heading downriver.

After loading all the gear into Mike’s car and Eric’s truck they headed out to the park where Mike had met Keel earlier that day. Once there they noticed Keel had left so they began reassembling the cataraft. Just as darkness set in the boat was once again together and loaded. Mike who thought the story was going to only take an hour or two was relieved to finally be getting the photo he wanted of the cataraft launching back into the water.

Upon launching below Rocky Reach Dam, Keel and Paul had successfully made it to Wenatchee, Washington. A major mental milestone this marked the largest town the two had arrived in since leaving Revelstoke nearly 20 days earlier.

Let the dam portages begin.

Not all that Grand. Grand Coulee Dam.

After spending much of Saturday trying to get a ride around Grand Coulee, Keel and Paul finally arrived on the downstream side around 6pm. Once loaded up they headed out paddling hard to make it to Chief Joseph Dam by the next day. The hope was they would be able to catch a ride with a fisherman taking out and secure a ride around Chief Joseph which would most likely be easier on a Sunday then on a Monday.
The only problem was that Chief Joseph was 44 miles away.

Putting their heads down and paddling through the night the team pushed to make the deadline.  Around 1am the headwinds began and pinned Paul and Keel down at different points on the river.   After a few hours of sleep the wind died down and they continued on.  Making it to within a mile of the boat ramp the team was once again pinned down and forced to wait out the wind.  Frustrated and exhausted from the push the two waited in an eddy watching the river flow upstream.  Just as darkness closed in the wind mellowed and Paul and Keel pushed off making it the final mile to the boat ramp.

Chief Joseph

Chief Joseph: Born Hinmuuttu-yalatlat (alternatively Hinmaton-Yalaktit or Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt, Nez Perce: “Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain”) in the Wallowa Valley of northeastern Oregon, he was known as Young Joseph during his youth because his father had the same name.

While initially hospitable to the region’s newcomers, Joseph the Elder grew wary when settlers wanted more Indian lands. Tensions grew as the settlers appropriated traditional Indian lands for farming and grazing livestock.

Isaac Stevens, governor of the Washington Territory, organized a council to designate separate areas for Natives and settlers in 1855. Joseph the Elder and the other Nez Perce chiefs signed a treaty with the United States establishing a Nez Perce reservation encompassing 7.7 million acres (31,000 km²) in present-day Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. The 1855 reservation maintained much of the traditional Nez Perce lands, including Joseph’s Wallowa Valley. [1]

An influx of new settlers caused by a gold rush led the government to call a second council in 1863. Government commissioners asked the Nez Perce to accept a new, much smaller reservation of 780,000 acres (3,200 km2) centered around the village of Lapwai in Idaho, and excluding the Wallowa Valley. In exchange, they were promised financial rewards and schools and a hospital for the reservation. Head Chief Lawyer and one of his allied chiefs signed the treaty on behalf of the Nez Perce Nation, but Joseph the Elder and several other chiefs were opposed to selling their lands, and did not sign. [2]

Their refusal to sign caused a rift between the “non-treaty” and “treaty” bands of Nez Perce. The “treaty” Nez Perce moved within the new Idaho reservation’s boundaries, while the “non-treaty” Nez Perce remained on their lands. Joseph the Elder demarcated Wallowa land with a series of poles, proclaiming, “Inside this boundary all our people were born. It circles the graves of our fathers, and we will never give up these graves to any man.”

With 2,000 U.S. soldiers in pursuit, Joseph and other Nez Perce chiefs led 800 Nez Perce toward freedom at the Canadian border. For over three months, the Nez Perce outmaneuvered and battled their pursuers traveling 1,700 miles (2,740 km) across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. General Howard, leading the opposing cavalry, was impressed with the skill with which the Nez Perce fought, using advance and rear guards, skirmish lines, and field fortifications. Finally, after a devastating five-day battle during freezing weather conditions with no food or blankets, Chief Joseph formally surrendered to General Nelson Appleton Miles on October 5, 1877 in the Bear Paw Mountains of the Montana Territory, less than 40 miles (60 km) south of Canada in a place close to the present-day Chinook in Blaine County. The battle is remembered in popular history by the words attributed to Chief Joseph at the formal surrender:

“Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before, I have it in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed; Looking Glass is dead, Too-hul-hul-sote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led on the young men is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets; the little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are—perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.”

By the time Joseph surrendered more than 200 of his followers had died. His plight, however, did not end. Although he had negotiated a safe return home for his people, they were instead taken to eastern Kansas and then to a reservation in the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) where many of them died of epidemic diseases.

In 1879 Chief Joseph went to Washington, D.C. to meet with President Rutherford B. Hayes and plead the case of his people. Finally, in 1885, Chief Joseph and his followers were allowed to return to the Pacific Northwest, although many, including Chief Joseph, were taken to the Colville Indian Reservation far from both the rest of their people in Idaho and their homeland in the Wallowa Valley.

Joseph continued to lead his band of Wallowa for another 25 years, at times coming into conflict with the leaders of 11 other tribes living on the reservation. Chief Moses of the Sinkiuse-Columbia in particular resented having to cede a portion of his people’s lands to Joseph’s people, who had “made war on the Great Father.”-Wikipedia

Chief Joseph Dam

Chief Joseph Dam: is a 5,962 foot (1,817.2 m) long hydroelectric dam spanning the Columbia River, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) upriver from Bridgeport, Washington, USA. The dam was authorized as Foster Creek Dam and Powerhouse for power generation and irrigation by the River and Harbor Act of 1946. The River and Harbor Act of 1948 renamed the project Chief Joseph Dam in honor of the Nez Perce chief who spent his last years in exile on the Colville Indian Reservation. Like the nearby Grand Coulee Dam, Chief Joseph Dam completely blocks salmon migration on the upper Columbia River.

Construction began in 1949, with the main dam and intake structure completed in 1955. Installation of the initial generating units was completed in 1958. Eleven additional turbines were installed between 1973 and 1979, and the dam and lake were raised 10 feet (3 m), boosting the capacity 2,620 MW, making Chief Joseph Dam the second largest hydropower producer in the United States.[1]

The dam is 545 miles (877 km) upriver from the mouth of the Columbia at Astoria, Oregon. It is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Chief Joseph Dam Project Office, and the electricity is marketed by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).

The reservoir behind the dam is named Rufus Woods Lake, and runs 51 miles (82 km) up the river channel. Bridgeport State Park, on the lake, is adjacent to the dam. – Wikipedia

After a much needed night of sleep Keel and Paul began trying to hitch a ride around the dam.  At some point a park ranger came across Keel’s tent and started informing him that camping was not allowed at the dam and could be subject to a fine. Keel agreed to take down the tent and the ranger left, heading straight to where Paul had camped the night before. Lucky for him he had already taken down his tent and the ranger informed him of the same rules about no camping.  In the team’s defense there were no signs from the river side which stated no camping so they had no idea when they showed up the night before that they were camping illegally.

Chief Joseph Dam - Camping not allowed.

After their stern warning Keel came across a fisherman who started telling him that years ago the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was required to assist boaters and provide them with a means for portaging the dam.  It appears that changed in the last couple of years due to a lawsuit where gear was damaged and now the USACE no longer assists boaters.  The ranger even went so far as to try and talk the fisherman out of giving Paul and Keel a ride around the dam claiming liability issues.  Thankfully the fisherman ignored him and gave the team a ride around the dam.

Hitchin' a Ride.

Once around the dam the team pushed off into the moving current below Chief Joseph. Enjoying the flow and no wind the two made great time for a few miles.  Then came the wind.  Keel was able to push on for a few miles but Paul was instantly pinned down once again.

View from Being Pinned Down by Wind.

After a few hours the wind slowed and Paul was able to continue on for about a mile until he was stopped once again. Frustrated and tired he pulled up to a boat ramp, tied off, and went to sleep to the sounds of an angry couple living next door yelling throughout the night.

Around 5am Paul pushed off thinking Keel was miles ahead of him at this point.  Thankful that the wind had stopped Paul made great time covering the next 20 miles or so.

Sunrise on the Columbia

At one point the river opened up making a bend to the left as well as continuing ahead under a bridge. Not sure which way to go Paul turned left and paddled on.  Fearing he had gone the wrong way he pushed the button on the SPOT and uploaded his position online.  Once the signal went through he called Scott Waidelich who was working hard at Canoe & Kayak and asked him to verify he was going the correct way.  Scott confirmed he was going the right way and Paul continued on. Within a few miles the wind began once again, instantly pushing Paul back upriver.  Paddling hard for river right Paul tied off to a tree below railroad tracks and the highway.  Thinking Keel was probably at the dam at this point Paul sat down hoping to be able to catch up before dark.  After a few hours of waiting Keel paddled up, somehow once again Paul had passed Keel the night before. Fortunately, Keel had been on river left when he came around the corner upriver of Paul and had seen a glimpse of Wells Dam less than a mile away which was out of Paul’s sight on river right, obstructed by a right-hand bend in river.  Laughing at the fact they had made it to the dam the two began looking for the boat ramp which was located on river right near their location.   Looking through binoculars Keel noticed they had actually passed the boat ramp and the two untied and pushed off to head a 1/2 mile back upriver to begin looking for a way around the dam. Just in time for the wind to change directions and start blowing back downriver.

Keel made better time getting upriver and ran up to the road just in time to wave down a passing dump truck.  The driver had seen Paul hours earlier on his way to dump his load and when Keel came running up to the road he stopped to see what was going on.  Now with an empty container the driver helped Paul and Keel load their boats and gear into the back and drove the two around Wells Dam.

Getting a ride with a Dumptruck

Somehow the boat and all the gear fit perfectly.

Wells Dam: is a hydroelectric dam located on the Columbia River, downstream from the confluence of the Okanogan River, Methow River, and the Columbia River in Washington State. The dam, associated structures, and machinery make up the Wells Hydroelectric Project. It is owned and operated by Douglas County Public Utility District.

It has produced electricity since August 22, 1967. Its operating license from the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is next up for renewal in 2012. In addition to the two public utility districts, the project provides electricity to Puget Sound Energy, Portland General Electric, PacifiCorp, Avista Corporation, and the Colville Indian Tribe. Its reservoir is named Lake Pateros. -Wikipedia

Check back next week for Wells Dam to Wenatchee!

Hugh Keenleyside Dam and hydroelectric station on the Columbia River forms the “Arrow Lakes” resevoir, formerly two separate, large natural lakes called Upper and Lower Arrow Lake. The Columbia River below Keenleyside is one of the few miles of free flowing waters left on the river. It picks up speed past the town of Trial, though the boarder and into Lake Roosevelt.

The Town of Trail is also home to the largest non-ferrous lead and zinc smelter in the world, Teck Cominco, in the heart of downtown Trail. Teck Cominco is a frightening thought to those who live downstream of Trail, here is one reason why, Click Here, oh wait, here’s another, Click Here. And since we are on the subject, Click Here!

Lake Roosevelt History:
Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake (also called Lake Roosevelt) is the reservoir created in 1941 by the impoundment of the Columbia River by the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington State. It is named for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who visited the site during the construction of the dam. Covering 125 square miles, it stretches about 150 miles from the Canadian border to Grand Coulee Dam, with over 600 miles of shoreline.

Grand Coulee Dam is a hydroelectric gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. In the United States, it is the largest electric power producing facility and the largest concrete structure. It’s also the fifth largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world.
The Grand Coulee Dam is almost a mile long at 5223 feet. The spillway is 1,650 feet wide and the hydraulic height of 380 feet. At 550 feet, it is taller than the Great Pyramid of Giza. Opening in 1942 the Dam backed up water past Kettle Falls and covered another ancient fishing grounds. The dam offered no fish passage.

The primary goal of irrigation was postponed as the wartime need for electricity increased. Aluminum smelting was vital to the war effort, and to airplane construction in particular. The electricity was also used to power plutonium production reactors and reprocessing facilities at the Hanford Site.

 

TCE:

When Paul and Keel left Keenleyside Dam they had high hopes that since the Mountains were fading in the background that the weather would warm up, unfortunately it ended up being the worst winter conditions yet. They rounded the corner and set their sights on the getting past the border. From the town of Trail the Columbia picked up speed and pushed through some fast moving water down to the border. At the border… well.. didn’t really see the border… guess no one wanted to wait out in the freezing weather.

Soon the swift moving water came to a slow stop in the back of Roosevelt Lake. Days and days of paddling in freezing temperatures put them a few miles upstream of Grand Coulee. During the long days on the lake Paul actually set up a tarp sail with Keel’s help and used it for awhile, however it proved to be faster to keep paddling. “That was the coldest days out on the water for me. All of the gear was covered in a thick layer of ice, dry bags stuck to the frame, and the weather was cold enough to keep it there most of the day” said Paul. At Grand Coulee Keel went ahead to find someone who could help transport Paul’s Cataraft around the Dam. Keel eventually ran into Scott Hunter from the Star….. “Most businesses that might have a suitable trailer were closed. But we ran into Wayne Fowler, of D.W.K. Fowler Construction, who offered to lend a flatbed trailer. The two 24-year-old boaters unloaded the lumber, while I fetched my Jeep.”

Paul and Keel made it around Grand Coulee and were offered a ride around Chief Joseph, the next Dam 47 miles downstream, if they could make it by @ 6pm the next day. They set out, trying hard to paddle 47 miles in the 24 hour time frame! 14 Days into it and getting into a Dam portage every other day!

Here is proof you can have a great time on flat water in the freezing cold, Paul after 12 days of paddling, camping, living, and breathing the Columbia River in March.

All Photos by Paul Gamache
*Check back next week for the video on Castlegar – Grand Coulee

          Columbia River, Arrow Lake, B.C. Revelstoke to Keenleyside Dam

History:
Arrow Lake is a man-made reservoir lake on the Columbia River which connects to the community of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. Before Keenleyside Dam went in it was known as Upper and Lower Arrow Lakes. Now the water sits idol just a few miles downstream of Revelstoke stretching all the way to Castlegar. There are no bridges across the lakes, and no road that runs the length of the lakes, but there are three free ferry crossings.

The Arrow Lakes were within the traditional territories of several Indian bands. The lakes first were identified on a map in 1832.The origin of the name was a cultural feature known as Arrow Rock on the east shore of Lower Arrow Lake, a large rock outcrop or overhang above the water, in the face of which was a hole filled with arrows. One early explorer who saw the arrows said they were 30 or 40 feet above the water. According to several versions of the story, an arrow that stuck meant good luck for the shooter, and an arrow that fell meant the opposite. The location was about 25 miles upriver from Castlegar, just north of the Deer Park area. The Arrow Lakes are part of the traditional territory claims of the Sinixt, Okanagan and Ktunaxa peoples, though at the time of contact and during colonization only Sinixt lived along its shores.

 

TCE:

We put on the river in Revelstoke in the swift water that leads into the heart of Arrow Lake. The reality quickly came clear that the weather would present problems in arctic conditions. We were simply surviving and due to the time schedule we placed, we were pushing as fast as possible. When the wind wasn’t blowing hard enough to push Paul up river then we had to keep moving. Day one started off great considering the fresh 4 inches of snow and 20 degree temperatures. Once on the river the swift moving water took us deeper into the wilderness of British Columbia. We stopped right at dark and had to break through about 50 feet of ice that extended out from the river right bank. By the time we made it to solid ground our gear was frozen stiff making it tough to get undressed and even getting gear out of the boat was a challenge. The next morning we woke up to more snow and had to break through the ice to get back out onto the river. Day 2 and 3 was more of the same, but with more fog filling the valley. 

Paul was eventually stopped by head wind on the 4th day forcing us to wake at 4am and start paddling to make up time. One night we camped high off the river just north of Nukusp and found the remnants of tracks from an abandoned bulldozer as well as a couple horse shoes left over form the clearing of the lake back in the late 60’s.

On the 6th day Ryan Scott departed the trip in the town of Fauquer, B.C. due to group tensions and ongoing back pain. Paul and Keel pressed on, it took them almost 8 days from the start of the trip to paddle the 140 miles from Revlestoke to Keenleyside. On March 8th Paul and Keel were able to pass through the Locks at Keenleyside and into one of the short sections of ‘free-flowing’ water left on the Columbia Lake System. The weather however was about to get a little colder!

 

Check out the video

 

Check back next week for Lake Roosevelt and the first dam portage.

Paul and Keel have made it to Astoria!

Since the start of the trip we have been dealing with surprises left and right. The most pressing issue was the fact that we had to break the trip up into 2 phases due to time issues and frozen lakes. The first phase being Revelstoke to Astoria covering 880 miles and the second being Columbia Lake to Revelstoke later in the summer. The first 880 miles have been very demanding in many ways for the team. Check back for weekly updates from the trip and once again, Thank You for all the support!